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Theatre Review: Scenes from a Friendship at Nottingham Playhouse

Time-hop through nineties teendom into adulthood with the latest gem from Nottingham playwright, Jane Upton. A messy trip down memory lane to make us laugh, cry and celebrate the friendships that shape us...

Gig review: Girli at Rough Trade

Another day, another chance to see a great artist performing at Rough Trade. To celebrate the release of her new album It's Just My Opinion, Girli (aka Milly Toomey) headed out across the country to perform intimate in-store  shows for her fans, including a return to Rough Trade. Girli’s music is a chaotic but fresh mix that sits at the intersection of electropop, pop‑punk and synth‑pop and she brought this out from the offset...

Gig review: Witches Mortuary at the Mist Rolling Inn

Witches Mortuary is a band that may be unknown to a majority of the music listening public, but their story is absolutely awe-inspiring. Forming in July 2025, this group of young, hungry musicians have made a name for themselves in the local scene with an album, EP, and this concert, their first, at the Mist Rolling Inn. Their flavour of stoner doom metal has really caught the attention of the Nottingham metal scene, and their talent has translated to relative popularity as they have caught traction all over the internet...

Dance Review: Breakin' Convention

Impressive Break Dancing on offer at Nottingham's annual festival 

Comedy, music festivals and local talent: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 18 -24 May

 This week in Notts! Enjoy local theatre performances and live comedy, or head to Dot to Dot music festival and dance the night away in various venues across Nottingham. Here's our top picks...

Gig review: The Wonder Stuff at Rock City (again!)

Four decades on from their small Stourbridge beginnings, The Wonder Stuff are still here playing live at one of their favourite venues. Tonight they are celebrating their 40th anniversary. But this isn’t just a nostalgia act: loss, line-up changes, hiatuses and everything else that you can throw at a band have taken their toll over the years, but their fans have remained loyal and they’re packing out Rock City tonight.

Left Stag: May 2026 - The Future Is Amber

Was this season the best ever for Mansfield Town FC? Our columnist Joshua Osoro Pickering things it's certainly up there...

Theatre Review: Papillons at Lakeside Arts

Papillons: A beautiful invitation, fully realised...

Theatre review: Take Flight at Lakeside Arts is an aerial treat for parents and babies

Following a mother and baby bird through the early stages of parenthood, Take Flight by local theatre company Rebel Sparks came to Lakeside Arts this weekend, uplifting early years theatre to new heights. Izzy and Bobby Bradley went down to check it out...

Buy: Three Left Lions 2026 World Cup T-shirt

Rep Nottingham while you watch the World Cup 2026! Our iconic three left lion’s t-shirts are back this summer, with a new range of colours and sizes...

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #17: Crazy P’s Jim Baron on international tours and festivals, soundtracking The Sopranos and his new venture White Elephant

This episode we are joined by Jim Baron from Crazy P who talks about his career in music, starting a band in Notts that became internationally renown, soundtracking for film and TV and his new venture White Elephant...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #44: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews new releases from Bloodworm, No Peeling, People Laughing, Cathedra and Paytron Saint & Emzae…

Gig review: Smash Into Pieces at Rock City

Swedish rockers Smash Into Pieces made a memorable stop in Nottingham, squeezing into Rock City as part of their UK and EU tour. While the venue was left in one piece, the impact of the gig will be marked in our minds for a long time to come...

Left Magpie: Play Offs Again

Our Notts County columnist Julian McDougall reflects on a Notts County’s season that has delivered another play-off push - but under a model that feels as safe as it does limiting...

Gig review: Kneecap album launch at Rescue Rooms

Ahead of the release of their third album Fenian, Irish rap trio Kneecap brought a double bill show to Rescue Rooms this week to give Notts a taste of what they’ve got in store this year…

Gig review: Creeper at Rescue Rooms

Having blown us away with their dramatic performance at Rock City in 2023 before then supporting Ice Nine Kills at Motorpoint Arena last December, each show from Southampton goth-rockers Creeper in our city feels like a monumental event. So, as they brought their Sangui-Tour to Rescue Rooms in April, where they performed songs exclusively from their albums Sanguivore I & II in intimate venues across the UK, we had to go along to experience their live show once again…

Theatre Review: Small Island at Nottingham Playhouse

A play that focuses on the harsh realities of postwar Britain for the Windrush generation and examines the consequences of empire...

Gig review: The Scratch at Rescue Rooms

Irish spirit was in abundance at Rescue Rooms as folk-metal band The Scratch celebrated new music and a new beginning in style...

Gig review: Book of Churches at Nottingham Contemporary

Felix Mackenzie-Barrow's new project Book of Churches has won hearts and minds across the nation, but he'll always find an appreciative home audience here in Nottingham. His recent performance at the Contemporary proved to be a magical experience...

LeftLion Issue #195 May 2026

Featuring Green Hustle, Notts festivals, ALT BLK ERA, Breakin' Convention festival, Red Sea FC, cinema events by Will Bailey, and plenty more... 

Gig review: Vona Vella at The Bodega

On a crisp Tuesday evening in late April, The Bodega gradually filled with punters there to see Vona Vella, a band who have become East Midlands indie circuit royalty over the last five years. The Nottingham-based five-piece recently released their debut album Carnival, and marked a triumphant homecoming to end their Funhouse tour...

Book Review: The History Boys Part II by David Marples

Gareth Watts takes a leaf through a new book by Dave Marples' new book about more great goals seen at the World Famous City Ground...

Gig review: Badly Drawn Boy in conversation and song at Metronome

Gig review: Marvin's Revenge at The Bodega

After a triumphant set at Paint by Numbers festival in December last year, and a recent Coach Party support slot at Rescue Rooms, the alt-rock three-piece powerhouse that is Marvin's Revenge made their own headline show at The Bodega an occasion to remember...

Gig review: Lace Thief album launch at Rough Trade

Marking the official launch of her debut album Inheritance, Lace Thief took to Rough Trade Nottingham to perform the record in full following its release the day before…